The seminal battle of the Revolutionary War, as seen through a Globe photographer's lens
. If you'd like the newsletter sent to your inbox,
.
TODAY'S STARTING POINT
Early on the morning of April 19, dawn's light revealed that all sides had come armed and ready.
British redcoats, marching in formation to the beat of a drum, wielded muskets tipped with bayonets, powder horns and cartridge boxes slung at their waists. The stern-faced militiamen blocking their advance, who had begun massing on the grassy common of the small town of Lexington earlier that morning, held guns of their own.
Advertisement
And about 20 feet away, perched on a riser, a Boston Globe photographer armed with a Canon 1D X Mark ll raised his camera and started shooting.
History remembers the 1775 battle of Lexington, sparked by a single shot of unknown origin, as the first military engagement of the American Revolution. For decades, reenactors on both sides have acted out the skirmish, an effort to stop the British Army from reaching a military supplies stockpile in the nearby town of Concord that left eight colonists dead.
Last month, the battle's 250th anniversary saw reenactors dressed as British regulars facing off against a motley crew of colonists before tens of thousands of spectators. Many of the reenactors there that day — like Michael Graves of Chelmsford, a University of Massachusetts Lowell biology professor
Advertisement
Luckily, John had a veteran of his own to consult: Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer, a now-retired colleague who photographed the Lexington reenactment for years. 'She told me it was going to go from darkness to dawn really quickly, which it did, and to just keep shooting when the troops raise their guns,' says John. 'The gun blast was loud and brilliant and she was so right.'
John took the above photo,
(For the photographers reading this: The ISO was 4000 and the shutter speed was 1/1000 at f-stop 2.8 using a 70-200 mm zoom lens at a focal length set of 70mm. John shot on automatic exposure using a 1-stop underexposure.)
That image isn't the only one from the Lexington reenactment in the Globe's April Photos of the Month. Another of John's shots —
Advertisement
Reenactments also weren't the only annual rites that Bostonians observed last month. In one of the Globe's other best photos, David Ryan captured a German runner named Marc Tortell starting off the 129th Boston Marathon in Hopkinton in high spirits, arms akimbo and orange hair spiked into a peppy crown. And there was Opening Day at Fenway Park, during which Stan Grossfeld photographed Hall of Famers Carl Yastrzemski and Carlton Fisk, members of the 1975 team, saluting fans.
Here are those celebratory photos from last month. I recommend checking out the rest of
Caption
Minutemen reenactors fired back at advancing British troops on Lexington Battle Green during the 250th anniversary of the historic first battle of the American Revolution.
(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
1
of
5
🧩 6 Across:
| ☀️ 72°
POINTS OF INTEREST
Lisa Boyce holds a photograph of her late husband, Kevin, who died of a tick-borne disease.
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
Boston and Massachusetts
Health disparity:
Patients taking weight-loss drugs in Massachusetts
Hidden danger:
After a rare tick-borne virus killed her husband, she wants people to understand that illnesses transmitted by the pests
Kitty Dukakis:
A video of former governor Michael Dukakis
Mixed reviews:
After almost $19 million and two years of construction,
Hurry up and wait:
Speeding trains have gotten into accidents on the Green Line. But the T still
RIT in the T:
Rochester Institute of Technology is 400 miles from Boston, yet
Trump administration
Plane dealer:
The Trump administration plans to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One, which critics said violates the Constitution's ban on foreign gifts. (
Trump's agenda:
House Republicans unveiled legislation that would cut Medicaid to help pay for Trump's tax bill. The cuts, in the form of new work and eligibility requirements, would cause 8.6 million people to lose health insurance, an estimate found. (
Israel-Hamas war:
Hamas agreed to release an American-Israeli hostage. Trump called it a 'good faith' step toward ending the war in Gaza. (
No-fly zone:
President Trump's transportation secretary plans to reduce the number of flights in and out of Newark airport as it struggles with radar outages and delays. (
'Constantly anxious':
Immigration lawyers
Trump vs. Harvard:
From hospitals to startups, the university helps fuel Greater Boston's economy,
Arrested development:
Trump's cuts to federal research grants
Higher ed:
Steel and lumber tariffs
The Nation and the World
Supreme Court:
From medical care for transgender minors to birthright citizenship, here are the major cases
India vs. Pakistan:
Both countries claimed victory after a ceasefire took hold yesterday, bringing the two nuclear-armed nations back from the brink of war. (
Russia-Ukraine war:
Ukraine's president said he'd meet with Russia's leader in Turkey this week to negotiate peace, but called for a ceasefire to begin today. (
BESIDE THE POINT
By Teresa Hanafin
🏨
Understated style:
TripAdvisor readers say
🧠
Minds at ease:
More employees want mental health benefits as part of a company's medical package, with flexible work schedules and financial counseling at the top of the list. (
⭐️
Good food:
The Michelin Guide and its anonymous inspectors are coming to Boston, and restaurant critic Devra First thinks
Advertisement
🥘
Distinctive cuisine:
Speaking of good food, reporter Alexa Gagosz went to New England's largest Taiwanese festival recently.
🐑
Man or beast:
New Zealand is one of a handful of countries in the world that still has more sheep than people. But humans are catching up. (
📚
Meet the writer:
Sara Franklin is at the Boston Athenaeum, Ria Brodell is in Somerville, and
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
This newsletter was edited by
❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at
✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can
📬 Delivered Monday through Friday.
Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
‘A family, dysfunctional, but a family.' Fall River fire survivors process the tragedy, as their next steps remain uncertain.
Sitting on a motorized scooter a block away from the living facility where he's currently residing, the double amputee's bright blue eyes shone as he recalled fond memories of the lives lost. Advertisement 'It was a family, dysfunctional, but a family,' Pimentel said. Survivors who made it out of the assisted living facility the night of July 13 are now scattered across the Fall River area and eastern Massachusetts, living in at least 10 living facilities identified so far by the Globe. Most are in and around Fall River, though one resident is staying at a living facility around 60 miles away in South Yarmouth. They are waiting to learn when they will get to retrieve their belongings — and where they will live next. As of this week, all of the displaced residents had been contacted and are in a case management system, Kimberly Smith, the executive director of United Way of Greater Fall River, said before a press conference Tuesday. Advertisement More than 75 percent of Gabriel House residents are enrolled in Medicaid, and chose Gabriel House because it charged less than a typical facility for private-paying patients. However, residents and family members have long complained about living conditions at the House, citing broken elevators, mice, and a lack of fire evacuation plans. The night of the fire, Pimentel said that he didn't see any emergency lights go off. He said there was 'too much smoke in the hallway' for him to leave his room. Quickly, he ripped his second-floor bedroom window 'off the hinges.' A fireman helped carry Pimentel down a ladder. Pimentel remembers watching his prosthetic leg fall off halfway down. Pimentel said he will be at Fall River HealthCare, another assisted living facility, for at least 30 days, but after that, his living accommodations are uncertain. He wants to stay in Fall River because he knows the neighborhood like the back of his hand. When he lived at Gabriel House, he went to the nearby convenience store, and he could visit his wife and his father's graves at the cemeteries. This late in life, he isn't prepared to start over. Officials said when his stay at Fall River HealthCare runs out, one of his options is to transfer to a facility in New Bedford. But he has never lived in New Bedford and doesn't know anyone there, he said. 'I don't know anything about New Bedford,' he said. 'I don't know where the DMV is. I don't know where the bus station is.' He wants to go to the River Falls Senior Living, an assisted living facility that is a fifteen-minute walk from Gabriel House, because of its proximity to his closest friend, Russell Silvia, and all places Pimentel is familiar with. Advertisement He knows Landmark at Fall River is 'expensive' but 'doesn't care,' saying he'd figure out how to make ends meet. 'It's close to everything I need,' he said. Pimentel said he has been leaning on his friend, Silvia, for help. Silvia helped organize the retrieval of his motorized scooter from Gabriel House last week. 'If it wasn't for me putting these sneakers on his feet, he'd still have the ones from the fire on,' Silvia said. In the fire's aftermath, residents are missing items, ranging from sentimental knick-knacks to daily necessities like hearing aids. There has been no official date or time set for residents to pick up their belongings, according to Ann O'Neil-Souza, chief of staff for Mayor Paul Coogan. If people need certain belongings, they should reach out to the mayor's office, she said. Donna Murphy, a former resident of Gabriel House who spent a rare evening away from the facility the night of the fire, has been staying with different family members as her family weighs more permanent options, according to her sister Nancy Jones. Jones said Murphy's granddaughter took a leave from work to care for Murphy, who has dementia and can't be left alone. 'My niece may have to make a decision to either take care of her grandmother, or we're going to have to put her somewhere,' Jones said. The family was never happy with Gabriel House, but it was the only option they could afford. Advertisement Murphy also had to be hospitalized after a panic attack caused by intense survivor's guilt while processing the incident, which injured and killed several of her friends. 'When she finally sat and thought about everything, it just all caught up,' Jones said. 'She was getting herself all worked up, talking about and losing her friends.' Like Murphy, many survivors have been mourning the deaths of the 10 residents, whom they called their friends and loved ones. Since the fire, there have been at least two funerals for the victims. Margaret Duddy, 69, was remembered on Tuesday, and Rui Albernaz, 64, was laid to rest Wednesday. Pimentel's friend Silvia made sure to borrow a van from a friend and drive residents to Albernaz's funeral. That morning, a hushed silence filled the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption ,as the Albernaz family watched Albernaz's casket get blessed. One of the four pallbearers looked up to the ceiling to avoid tears spilling down his face, and Albernaz's sister sobbed silently over the casket. The large Portuguese family, with many of Albernaz's siblings, cousins, and nieces and nephews, sat in the first two rows of the church. About 75 community members sat behind them listening as the priest described Albernaz as a 'man full of joy,' who loved to dance and play scratch tickets and who went by 'Rui, Roy, or Buddy.' At the funeral was Debbie Bigelow, 68, who dated Albernaz for six years. The two met at Gabriel House, and Bigelow 'had my eye on him for a while' before he 'finally came my way.' They'd planned to get married. Time would fly when the two talked, she said. Advertisement 'From the first time I saw him, he was so joyful,' she said. 'He didn't get into fights with other guys.' They played 'action games' together at the facility, like bean bag toss, to improve their mobility, and did arts and crafts. Bigelow said she is doing OK after the fire. Like Pimentel, she is staying at Fall River HealthCare for at least another week, and then, she doesn't know where she will be placed. Bigelow has family members who have been supporting her through the transition. 'I don't know,' Bigelow said about where she is going next. 'I don't know.' Ava Berger can be reached at
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Killer Whales Attack Boat Again
Two French sailors were rescued off the coast of northern Spain after their boat was rammed by orcas. They were taken safely to shore by the Spanish coastguard after the killer whales attacked their boat's rudder around two miles from the town of Deba, near Bilbao, according to several local media reports. A pod of orcas made headlines in 2023 for their repeated attacks off the Strait of Gibraltar at Spain's southern tip. Rescuers have said orca attacks like this are uncommon in the Basque region, close to France, where they had never before been called to assist in such circumstances. This has sparked questions about whether this is a one-off or the start of more attacks. The recurrence of these encounters is raising questions about animal behavior, the risks for boaters, and the future of human-orca interactions in a rapidly changing sea environment. Newsweek has contacted the Spanish coastguard, via email, for comment. On July 21 two French sailors were rescued off the coast of Deba, in Spain's Basque Country after their 10-meter yacht lost steering following an encounter with two killer whales, said the sources, including Cadena SER. According to the Spanish maritime safety agency Salvamento Marítimo, the sailors issued a distress call when their rudder was broken, leaving them adrift, though they did not take on water. The rescue vessel Salvamar Orión towed them safely to the port of Getaria. Researchers and sailors have reported a pattern of orcas approaching from behind and targeting boat rudders. If the vessel is immobilized, the whales often lose interest. British wildlife conservation professor Volker Deecke warned British sailors to be cautious, especially in orca hotspots like the "orca alley" of the Strait of Gibraltar. "For some unknown reason, the killer whales have developed a penchant for breaking the rudders of sailboats and once they have achieved this, they leave the boat alone," he told The Telegraph. Orcas have been causing problems for years in the Strait of Gibraltar and around the Iberian coast, but these attacks have intensified and spread in recent years. Data shows the attacks peaking in 2022 and making headlines in 2023 but have been common since 2020. Captain Dan Kriz, who has been ambushed at least twice by the same pod of orcas, previously told Newsweek: "There is not much one can do. They are very powerful and smart … First time, we could hear them communicating under the boat. This time, they were quiet, and it didn't take them that long to destroy both rudders. Looks like they knew exactly what they are doing. They didn't touch anything else." Biologist Alfredo López Fernandez, from the University of Aveiro in Portugal and a representative of the Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atlántica (Atlantic Orca Working Group), previously told LiveScience: "The orcas are doing this on purpose, of course, we don't know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behavior based on trauma, as the origin of all this, gains more strength for us every day." Spanish authorities continue to monitor incidents, issue advisories during peak activity periods from May to August, and advocate boaters' compliance with best-practice guidelines to avoid escalating confrontations. Scientists remain divided on the causes behind this pattern, proposing theories from learned behavior due to trauma, playful social learning, or even practice for hunting. Both researchers and conservationists continue to emphasize the importance of protecting the endangered orca subpopulation while safeguarding sailors. Increased surveillance, further study, and public education campaigns are anticipated as both communities seek sustainable coexistence. Related Articles Viewers in Awe at What Man Spots on Relaxing Stroll Along Vancouver BayKiller Whales Caught Harvesting Organs From Largest Fish in the SeaOrca Matriarch Seen Throwing Dolphin Into Air During HuntOrca Ship Attacks Spark New Danger Map and Safety Guidelines 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
I've coached kids who got into Harvard, Stanford and Princeton—I recommend 5 'essential' books for raising successful kids
Walk into the parenting section of any bookstore and you will be bombarded by prescriptive books, old and new. It can be hard to parse which are worth reading. But over the last 10 years, as a coach to high-achieving high school students who have gotten into selective colleges like Harvard, Stanford and Princeton, I've come across a few that have been invaluable. These books, written by educators, scientists, journalists, and parents, have helped me better empathize with my students — and better support them and their parents in navigating competitive academic environments. I recommend five books for parents who want to raise highly successful "Never Enough," journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace explores modern toxic achievement culture and the problems it can lead to. The central issue is what she calls the "excessive pressure to excel." This undue stress negatively affects a child's health and emotional wellness. So how do you defend against that pressure and help your kids thrive? Wallace proposes constructive ways to circumvent this culture, whether it's tamping down on the anxiety you as a parent may inadvertently be creating, or building support systems for yourself and your kid. In "The Happiest Kids in the World," authors Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison explore the facets of Dutch culture that contribute to The Netherlands consistently ranking as one of the happiest countries in the world for children. Acosta is Filipino-American and Hutchison is British. They are both married to Dutch men, and are raising their kids in the Netherlands, so they approached the topic from a uniquely cross-cultural perspective. What I like about this book is that while the authors focus on larger societal norms that are common in the Netherlands, they also share practical takeaways for parents, such as the value of letting kids be heard or of eating meals together as a way to bond. In "The Self-Driven Child," authors Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson — Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist and professor at George Washington University School of Medicine, and Johnson, the founder of tutoring service PrepMatters — detail how parents can support their children in becoming more independent. Many parents would probably agree that they want to raise self-sufficient children, but they often see motivation as innate, as opposed to a trait that can be learned. This book corrects a lot of misconceptions about the use of incentives to motivate kids (e.g. compensating your kids for good grades is harmful in the long-term), highlights key pitfalls to avoid, and arms parents with evidence-based recommendations and conversation starters to help their kids build independence and resilience. "Who Gets In And Why" offers an illuminating look at college admissions in America. While researching the book, education reporter Jeff Selingo followed admissions officers at three top colleges to give a transparent account of how admissions decisions are really made. He explores how factors like geography, demonstrated interest, and the specific needs of a school can have an outsize influence on the acceptance or rejection of a student's application. With clarity, Selingo does a great job at helping parents understand the competing forces that make this process about so much more than just the merit of any one applicant: "College admissions is a constant balancing act," he writes, "to please the bosses, as well as other constituents — faculty, coaches, alumni, donors, and at public universities, politicians." "How to be a High School Superstar" was first published 15 years ago, but I find that it is more relevant today than ever. Author Cal Newport, now a professor of computer science at Georgetown University, shares tools to make college admissions less stressful for everyone involved. He offers strategies on how students can stand out, and none of them involve taking the most AP classes or getting the highest SAT scores. Instead, he recommends genuinely cultivating one's passions by going deep into one specific area of interest no matter how weird or niche. While written for high school students, it provides a valuable roadmap for parents as well.
